Cannon Fire Arc-Chapter 744 - 1 Sanctification

Chapter 744: Chapter 1 Sanctification

August 10th, at St. Ye Katerina Fortress, the capital of Ante, in the central cathedral of the Secular faction Church.

As the solemn sound of the organ filled the air, Wang Zhong knelt on one knee before the altar, making the hand gestures he had been taught many times last night by Ludmila.

His Highness Belinsky raised the scepter high with one hand and lightly touched Wang Zhong’s shoulder with the Magic Artifact in the other hand, “Aleksei Konstantinovich Rokossovsky, do you wish to follow the teachings of Saint Andrew for the rest of your life, and uphold fairness and justice on Earth?”

Wang Zhong, “I do.”

His Highness Belinsky, “Do you wish to treat all people equally, regardless of skin color, race, and culture?”

Wang Zhong, “I do.”

...

His Highness Belinsky, “Do you wish to…”

The questions His Highness Belinsky was now asking were the Ten Inquiries left behind by Saint Andrew, forming the most fundamental tenets of the Secular faction.

Before the ceremony, Cardinal Ravkid, one of Belinsky’s confidants, had specifically instructed Wang Zhong to nod and agree to everything, making sure he didn’t say anything else.

Ravkid managed the Tribunal, and although Wang Zhong wasn’t afraid of the Tribunal, he didn’t want to offend the Cardinal for no reason.

Moreover, the Ten Inquiries of Saint Andrew aligned quite well with Wang Zhong’s values; he truly wished to abide by them.

Once the Ten Inquiries were completed, the choir began to chant Latin hymns, and warm light fell upon Wang Zhong from the heavens.

This was a physically warm light because it was coming from the large spotlight on the ceiling; Wang Zhong was as snug as if he were having a bath with a heater turned on in winter,

even though it was currently summer.

His Eminence Belinsky, the Grand Patriarch, “Now I declare Duke Aleksei Konstantinovich Rokossovsky to be a Living Saint, endowed with the title ‘Saint Rokossov.'”

As he spoke, Belinsky hung the ribbon representing the identity of a saint over Wang Zhong’s brand new Marshal uniform, then sketched the symbol of the Eastern Holy Church on his chest, “Amen!”

Wang Zhong, following the procedure, also exclaimed, “Amen!”

Then Wang Zhong stood up and turned around, his eyes immediately seeking his wife, Ludmila.

Ludmila was suppressing a smile; after all, in her capacity as a cleric, she needed to maintain a solemn demeanor during such an event.

Standing behind Ludmila in a row, Miss Amelia seemed much more relaxed. She watched as Wang Zhong continuously gestured with his hands, his mouth moving as if silently speaking.

Wang Zhong thought to himself, ‘Miss, aren’t you a New Human? Communicate with me using telepathy; I can’t read lips. All your gestures are lost on me.’

The rest of the ceremony was simple, and in less than 20 minutes, Wang Zhong was meeting with friends and family in the cathedral’s preparation room.

Upon seeing Wang Zhong, Amelia said, “Now you are an officially recognized Power User. How does it feel? Have you seen angels or Saint Andrew?”

Wang Zhong, “No, the spotlight above just made me a bit dizzy.”

“These ceremonies,” Belinsky entered the preparation room, “are all necessary.”

Suddenly recalling a famous line from his favorite game before he traveled through time, Wang Zhong quipped, “Without these solemn ceremonies, how would people know of our dedication to healing the sick and universally saving all beings?”

Belinsky laughed, “That’s pretty much the idea. We found in our long-standing practice that compared to dogmas, the masses are more receptive to these seemingly solemn ceremonies, and to Doctor Sausage.”

Wang Zhong couldn’t help but repeat, “And Doctor Sausage?”

Belinsky, “Yes, Doctor Sausage is very important, as vital as ceremonies. Now you are a Living Saint, but sanctification ceremonies like this happen every twenty or thirty years. You needn’t take it too seriously; just regard it as recognition from the Church.

“And the saint’s ribbon looks nice, doesn’t it? But it can also be a hassle, so you don’t need to wear it all the time. We’ve prepared a badge for you.”

With a gesture from Belinsky, a Priest came forward with a box containing the badge, held between both hands.

Wang Zhong, “That’s fantastic.”

Vasily stepped forward to take the box and scrutinized it closely, his lips moving slightly with a sharp comment. But even Vasily did not dare to speak rashly in front of Belinsky and Cardinal Ravkid.

Belinsky, “Now let’s discuss serious matters. Following your recapture of Argesukov, the reactions of the Allied Forces were significant. Diplomats have expressed their desire to hold a summit.”

Wang Zhong immediately thought of the three famous conferences in Earth’s history. Judging by the time, should this be the Tehran conference?

If this conference really takes place in August, then it’s happening about half a year early.

This indicated that his counter-offensive was highly effective, proceeding faster than on Earth.

Wang Zhong whispered, “So where shall the meeting be held? Considering geopolitics, perhaps Balas would be suitable?”

Belinsky’s eyes widened, “Have you received information from another intelligence source?”

Wang Zhong, “No, I was just thinking purely in terms of geopolitics; obviously, this meeting should be held in a place that is nominally neutral but actually fully controlled by the Allied Forces. Geographically, it should also be ideally located—in the middle—Balas is just the right place.”

Belinsky: “It’s quite normal for you to make such a conjecture. You’re familiar with the situation in Balas, and you have many soldiers from the Balas Army ‘interning’ under your command. If these troops form the guard responsible for protection, His Majesty the Tsar’s safety will certainly be assured.”

Wang Zhong: “Ah, is it Olga who’s going? Shouldn’t it be you?”

Belinsky laughed heartily: “I’m just the Grand Patriarch, not the national leader of Ante. It’s quite clear this meeting isn’t suitable for me.”

Wang Zhong: “But the decisions made by Olga—”

Belinsky: “If you go along, nobody will question her decisions.”

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Wang Zhong’s eyebrows knitted into knots, if he followed along, the propositions Olga put forward at the meeting would likely be seen as his own.

What do you mean? You just have to make me the chief executive, huh? Don’t make me suffer.

Belinsky: “After the war, there will be a very good opportunity. We’ll accomplish all the visions that were not realized due to too much resistance when the civil war ended. Everything we are doing now is laying the groundwork for this purpose.

“Some Cardinals worry that after defeating Prosen, you will monopolize military power and follow in the footsteps of that Conqueror. However, I believe you won’t do so. After these two years of war, you’ve already become a staunch Secular faction warrior.”

Belinsky’s words reminded Wang Zhong of Loktov, countless hands pulling him out from under a tank, pushing him forward.

Those pairs of hands, calloused and large, were warm and strong.

Wang Zhong: “Yes, the people are the greatest. I’m just a lucky fellow who was pushed to the forefront.”

Belinsky smiled: “I knew you would answer like that. In any case, prepare yourself. Your wife must also go along. In diplomatic occasions, sometimes it’s necessary for her to be present. As for the next phase of the operation, I’m sure your loyal Chief of Staff can handle it, right?”

Wang Zhong: “I have a plan to break through the Dibo River. Pavlov is putting the plan into action now. I’m preparing to use airborne troops—”

Belinsky raised a hand to stop him: “Don’t bother with the specifics of the plan; I have complete trust in you when it comes to military matters. Your current military successes have already given us a significant advantage at the negotiation table.”

Wang Zhong: “It’s also because the Allied Forces of the Kingdom of Sardinia aren’t progressing well.”

The Allied Forces only had Sherman Tanks with 75-mm guns, and they were up against the thicker armor of the long-barreled Panzer IV, as well as Leopard and Tiger King tanks, so they were naturally taking a beating.

By that account, the reason the Allied Forces were not doing well was mainly because the Prosens on the Eastern Front had also been “evolved” in Purgatory.

Wang Zhong felt quite sorry, after all, those who died were comrades fighting against the enemy on the same front.

“I’ll share our experiences against the Prosens with the commanders of the Allied Forces at the meeting,” he said, “and also provide the Prosens tanks we captured for the Allies to study countermeasures.”

Belinsky nodded: “That’s great, we can exchange these captured tanks for more production licenses. We need engines, radars, more trucks, and advanced machine tools.”

Wang Zhong: “I will discuss this thoroughly with the Allied Nations. So, when do we leave?”

“The 15th. Until then, you can focus on your own affairs, such as finalizing the design for the new tanks and summarizing combat experience. Many high-ranking officers who’ve returned to Yeburg also wish to see you.” Belinsky said, patting Wang Zhong on the shoulder, “Bring them all over, unify them under the frontline headquarters that you’ll soon establish.”

Wang Zhong: “You mean for me to bypass—”

“No, I didn’t say that. General Tugenev has always played an important role, but he’s old now, close to retirement age. After he retires, the position of Chief of Military Command will need a Marshal who can command respect.”

Wang Zhong: “I understand.”

Just then, the sound of boot steps came from the doorway.

Wang Zhong looked towards the door just as General Gorky entered the preparation room.

“Marshal Davarish, salute to you,” the general stood at attention and saluted.

Wang Zhong: “Salute to you, General Davarish. I heard upon my return to Yeburg that back in March you strongly opposed your promotion to Marshal?”

“The person with the most outstanding military achievements is still a general. My promotion to Marshal would hardly convince everyone,” said General Gorky with a laugh. “Right before I took off to return, I heard that my promotion order was also about to be issued.”

Belinsky: “Hmph, that old fox Tugenev.”

General Gorky saluted Belinsky: “Your Highness the Grand Patriarch, I didn’t notice you were here as well.”

Belinsky: “Hmph, you’re an old fox too.”

At that moment, the Ceremonial Officer’s voice announced loudly from outside: “His Majesty the Tsar has arrived!”

Wang Zhong said to Belinsky: “I was just about to say, isn’t it a bit improper that His Majesty is not present on such an occasion?”

Belinsky: “This is our stance, you don’t need to worry about it.”

As Belinsky spoke, Cardinal Ravkid pushed up his round glasses.

Then the door opened, and Olga ran in, lifting the hem of her dress: “Brother!”

Wang Zhong was about to salute when Olga rushed into his arms: “Brother! You finally returned! His Highness Belinsky must have told you already? We’re going to Balas together!”